PNP: Removal of procurement power won’t affect big-ticket projects

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) said Wednesday that President Rodrigo Duterte’s order removing the procurement power of the institution due to supposed overpriced speed guns would not affect its big-ticket equipment acquisition for 2020.

PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa said the PNP has already procured 11 of the 15 major equipment that the agency wants to buy this year even before Duterte issued the directive.

“For 2020, we are aware that the capital outlay appropriations has been extended up to December 31,” he said in an interview with reporters.

“There are only four pending big-ticket items that are still under procurement procedures. We have until December 31 of this year to complete this, but because it has been a practice of the PNP na maaga kami nagpo-procure kaya palagi kami nauuna (to procure early so we are always ahead). There is no problem with regards to that, ‘yung (about the) big-ticket items of the PNP,” Gamboa explained.

In his speech before the Philippine Marines on Monday, Duterte expressed anger on the PNP’s purchase of speed guns worth P950,000 per unit, saying the weapons merely cost Davao City P10,000 each.

READ: Duterte removes PNP’s procurement power over ‘overpriced’ speed guns

However, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac earlier explained that the President’s order to remove the procurement power of the national police was only the result of a “misunderstanding.”

According to Banac, the item that PNP wanted to procure was a micro-digital camera laser system and not speed guns. He also said the proposed purchase for the micro-digital camera laser system has not been carried out and was only presented by the PNP Directorate for Operations in a bid to stress on the need to reduce road accidents.

Duterte had since directed Interior Secretary Eduardo Año to take over the procurement processes in the organization. Duterte has earlier ordered Año to supervise the police force in the absence of a PNP chief.

“Let’s take it that the President has already spoken so let’s leave it at that,” Gamboa said.

Edited by KGA